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Antalya Shore Excursions

Antalya sits proudly on a clifftop above the azure waters of its bay. This provincial capital has adapted well to the requirements of mass tourism. The old quarter of the city has been imaginatively restored and preserves much of its antique character. Antalya has some excellent hotels and its shops and boutiques offer a comprehensive range of the best Turkish products. From the city park there are spectacular views of the Bey Mountains, the mist-shrouded mountains that guard the approaches to Lycia. At Konyaalti and Lara there are clean beaches. Within easy reach of Thermessos, Perge, Aspendos and Side, some of the most important ancient sites of Pamphylia, it has one of the best regional museums in Turkey. A fine new conference centre in the form of a glass pyramid has built in the city.

Antalya's principal industries are tourism, the processing of sesame and sun-flower seeds and cotton. It is also an important centre for the sale and distribution of a range of agricultural and horticultural produce which includes citrus fruit, olives, sugar beet and salad vegetables. The principal grain crops of the surrounding area are wheat and barley. The industrial port is tucked away inconspicuously to the west of the city. Antalya has very hot dry summers. Winters are warm and wet, with the heaviest rainfall in January.

History of Antalya city
Founded in the 2C BC by Attalus II Pergamum (160-139 BC) and named Attaleia in his honour, modern Antalya has kept few relics of its ancient past. His nephew and successor, Attalus III (138-133 BC), bequeathed his kingdom to Rome in 133 BC, but the bequest did not include Pamphylia, Rough Cilicia and Lycia. It was not until 67 BC that a campaign contducted by Pompey put an end to their activities. In AD 130 Hadrian came to Antalya. His visit was commemorated by the erection of ceremonial gate which still stands. St. Paul visited nearby Perge, but little is known of the early history of Christianity in Antalya. It did not have its own bishop until the 11C.During the reign of Yildirim Bayezit it became part of teh Ottoman Empire. During First World War, it was ceded to Italy till 1918. In 1921 it was liberated by the Turkish army and became a provincial capital.